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 Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2012 4:04 am
 Becoming a watcher was... interesting. Before, as a soldier, Azulon hadn't needed to work too closely with anyone. He'd follow orders from whomever he was supposed to, but it just felt less hands-on. This new task felt like he would be much more involved in some matters, though he hadn't been in this position for long. They were the ones who would have information, and that just appealed to him.
He did not have the information that would tell him why he was supposed to meet the spymaster this evening, but Azulon could deduce it had to do with discussing what they had found, or tasks and duties of the sort. After all, he imagined Morag would need to get 'settled in', as it were, quite new to the job. What was it, a couple weeks since they had returned, and she had been promoted? The black lioness was an interesting one. She would probably be called promising, rising in a career like that – if the career weren't a secret. He'd have to keep an eye on her.
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Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 7:36 am
But that came with a price too... next to the Regents, she could be considered one of the most valuable members of the pride to the enemy. She knew secrets few others did and it was her job to gather information of all kinds. When the enemy found out about her promotion, she would most likely become a target... but that was part of why she was out here now, in a secluded part of the pride's den area to speak with one of her newly-made watchers.
He'd been part of the group that had traveled North and as such, had earned a good deal of her trust. She felt closer to that group than she did to nearly anyone else in the pride. It was important, now, to be able to know who she could trust.
Rounding a corner, she scanned the area with her eyes, ears trained to pick out and identify surrounding sounds. Satisfied, she padded forward to find a comfortable spot and settled herself to wait for Azulon to join her.
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Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 7:19 pm
Ah, there she was. He hadn't been waiting at the precise location, and rather chose to rest a distance away. Azulon felt it was sometimes smart to watch others arrive, especially if the meeting had been arranged. It might give clues as to what was going on, and unnecessary as that might be now, the lion figured might as well get into the habit.
He stood and made his way over at an easy pace. He wasn't in a hurry, but his strides were typically long and he covered the distance swiftly. "Good evening, Spymaster." He greeted coolly, and briefly he contemplated addressing Morag by name. Azulon decided it was best to forgo that for the time being.
"You seem to be adjusting well." His tone was not unfriendly, and perhaps a bit amused. He decided against congratulating her, as she probably didn't need such praise from him.
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2012 8:34 am
Morag twitched a little as the large red male joined her, addressing her as Spymaster rather than the less formal, more familiar use of her name. It felt weird to be addressed that way, though she suspected it would be a long while before title really settled in her.
"Good Evening, Azulon. I see you've settled back in nicely since we returned. Have you seen anyone else about? I've been looking for some... alone time, but no matter where I go, there seems to be someone already there." She said lightly, putting a chuckle behind the words. Had he seen anyone else around here? Were they alone? Her first sweep of the area had not turned up any snoopers, but one could never really be too careful in this business.
Okay so, maybe she was being a little paranoid, what with her new role being such a recent thing, but after everything that she had seen and heard... It was hard not to be constantly looking over her shoulder. It just... came with the territory.
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Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2012 6:15 pm
"I see some of the others out and about." He shrugged. "Those cubs we brought back as well." Azulon liked to keep an eye on everything, even things as uninteresting as cubs. Though those two were particularly worthy of attention, what with their origin stories and all.
At her mention of not managing to be alone, he blinked. "Perhaps the Old Palace is a good place to be alone." Azulon suggested, in a practically friendly manner. "I don't imagine the dead will begrudge someone who is merely seeking some quiet." Not that he believed the dead could begrudge anything. He had walked about Kimeti's tomb once or twice himself, or whatever passages were still open – honestly, not many. Having not grown up in these lands they meant little to him, but they did seem like a part of the pride not many cared to visit.
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Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 7:44 pm
For a moment a distasteful expression crossed Morag's face, twisting her mouth before she released it, relaxing into an inquiring look.
"I'm afraid I don't care to walk those halls. I prefer to leave my ancestor to sleep in peace." She shook her head, stretching her paws out to kneed the ground, spreading her toes luxuriously. "Not superstitions, really... more cautious. There are more things in this world than what we know and understand. I have respect for that."
The dark female gave the male a searching look, calculating. "Are you pleased with your promotion, Azulon? We've seen a lot and I've been going around, gathering information from those who went with us. What is your take on all of this? Different points of view can find seeds that others miss. Have you heard anything that resonates, now that you know more than you did before?"
It felt... awkward, suddenly, to ask him these questions. She realized she knew very little about this rogue-born male, less than even the little she knew about some of the pride members that were now under her guidance and leadership. The sudden promotion had made her realize how little she really knew, but at the same time, it fired her need to know more.
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Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 8:29 pm
He nodded, and would not argue. It was hardly the sort of sentiment he shared, but then again, he didn't truly have a formed inclination on that sort of thing. He was certainly incapable of relating on an emotional level. Then again, he did avoid his mother's dying place like the plague. Possibly because of... some things she had said. Azulon didn't like to dwell on his mother much.
"Pleased?" He repeated, raising his brows. "That depends. I think it suits me. But I'll only really be pleased once I found I've done the pride good." He smiled slightly, before focusing a bit more seriously on the next questions.
As an outsider he didn't know much intimately about the firekin, though Azulon liked to think he learned quickly. He had certainly joined in a tempestuous time. "From what we heard, I can gather that the Nergui want us." Quite badly, it seemed. "From what Godlum Oma said they don't seem quite intent on attacking us. But he knew we were there, and so it is possible he planned on lulling us into a false sense of security." Azulon personally believed if that was the plan, it had failed.
"Now, if what he said is true, I believe he was happy we came." It might be a bit of a long shot, but... "They want us to be curious about them. They want the firekin to see their strength, which could, at least in part, explain the ambush, and to learn about them. Even though for now the Motoujamii put up a front against them, I imagine they hope for a change through all this." So in the end, to Azulon it looked like the Nergui were putting on a bit of a show. They wanted to seduce the firekin to their cause, whatever that was. The way of the Nergui probably would even appeal to some firekin, if not many of them. "The drought may end up working in their favor." Desperately thirsty desert lions might be all the more willing to listen to a strong barbarian pride.
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Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2012 7:35 am
Morag frowned as she thought it over, ideas and arguments swirling in her head.
"You bring up interesting points. They do want us... otherwise, why not just attack straight on, the way they have the other prides they've come across? In some ways, this is better for us, and in others, worse.... If they want us to join them, then they are less likely to kill first thing. Some loss would be expected, but they won't be out to murder every last one of us. On the other hand... our pride is a physical one. We are used to confronting our problems head on with claws and fangs bared... this sneaky business isn't something much of the pride would be comfortable with." She smiled then, baring her teeth.
"But I suppose that is where we come in. It will be our duty now to watch for treachery and deceit. If we can pull our enemies out of the shadows, we will be able to put the full brunt force of our pride to them. Honest battle would be how many would prefer to end this conflict."
The dark lioness felt a thrill go through her, that feeling that ran in the blood of every Firekin... but she was more than just a regular Firekin now. She couldn't afford to let her emotions or pride get in the way of protecting her homeland. Being too stubborn or near-sighted could make her miss things that would cost them dearly.
"We must learn to anticipate our opponent's moves and counter them... I feel we are only just beginning on this important task. We have a lot of work ahead of us... especially if we want to get a jump on them, we'll have to start thinking even farther ahead and act rather than react."
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Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 5:08 am
He nodded. Even if the Nergui had enough numbers to threaten the firekin in battle, and Azulon didn't think they did, they wouldn't want to. The firekin probably looked like quite a catch to them. Unfortunately for their enemy, the red lions of the desert weren't just a fish that could be snatched out of the water. "If it's any help, I'm not so sure the Nergui are much better at this sneaky business either." Though Azulon never wanted friends, he knew how to make them if he needed any. Ambushes just weren't the way to go.
"We do have a lot of work." He nodded. "Perhaps we will need to leave the defensive sometime soon." So far the Nergui hadn't paid any consequence from their action, aside from losing a couple cubs they probably didn't care about. They needed to learn to take the firekin seriously.
"It would be interesting, if risky, to have someone on the inside." Perhaps a huria? And thinking about that, they might need to play closer attention the huria, make them well aware of this situation. Though they were free to do as they pleased after leaving, it would be largely inconvenient and probably distressing for their families if they were recruited by the enemy.
"As for more immediate plans, do you have any particular use of me? I could go to the Northern Outpost and keep an eye on things there." He wasn't sure if any of the other watchers had already been dispatched to the northern outpost, but personally Azulon thought they could use someone on the front lines who knew a bit more about what was going on.
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Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 7:09 am
The dark lioness gave the male a sharp look, a bit of a smile playing over her mouth.
"I think the two of us have similar minds, because I was thinking much the same thing. I've been mulling over plans to send a group to the Nergui and join their ranks, ferreting out information to send back to us. If they truly want us to join them, a group of seeming defectors could seem very tempting to them... Especially if its some of the old bloods. They would have obvious enough reasons to 'switch' sides... but I need to think this over carefully. I won't needlessly risk our people if its a lost cause."
Morag dropped her head them, her eyes hooded as she studied her paws. "As for you... I did have an idea that I wanted to offer. No commander can lead on their own. Even our pride is divided into ranks that support each other. The idea I wanted to offer was that I name you as my lieutenant... my second-in-command. When I'm away from the pride, I will need someone here to watch things and organize the watchers still here. When I can't leave, I need someone to go where I can't." Finally, she looked up at him, suddenly feeling awkward. Suddenly, she keenly felt the newness of her position and her lack of experience. Was she doing the right thing? Was he the right person to ask? Would he even want to take this new position?
"It will mean working both more closely with me and less... and you will have some degree of leadership over the watchers. I will have ultimate authority over them, but they will follow your commands as well. You also don't have to decide right now, if you would like time to think it over..." She said the last hurriedly, to make sure he knew she wasn't pressuring him.
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Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 8:13 pm
He nodded. "Sounds like a plan, or the start of one. I agree it would need careful planning. And whomever is sent, we would need to be certain of their loyalty." He didn't mean to imply the whole pride was full of untrustworthy lions, but the problem with this under cover missions was, once immersed in their culture, who was to say they didn't start thinking differently? Even Azulon's attitude was suffering changes here in this pride, and he was one of the most unemotional lions out there.
Her change was a bit unexpected, and for a brief instant he was a little apprehensive, not sure what to expect here. But when she started talking again, he found himself quite pleased. As much as Azulon might have been hoping to work his way into a trusted position, he hadn't expected this sort of success so soon. Not that he was complaining.
It just wasn't fit for the situation to react with excitement, so he waited patiently until she was done talking, pondering over his response."I don't need time to think it over. I'm honored by your offer, and if you are certain, I would be glad to take you up on it. I would like to serve my pride, and you, my spymaster, as best I can."
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Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 8:13 am
Morag felt a little thrill of excitement when he accepted her offer so eagerly, mixed with a little embarrassment when he said he wished to serve her. Intellectually, she blamed it on her lack of experience with males. Thus far, though she might have felt attracted to some of the members of the pride, she'd never really dealt with the males that weren't part of her family. His phrasing touched on something she had no experience with, even though it had little to nothing to do with that.
Letting the spymaster in her stomp on the girlish flutter and smash it flat, she offered him a cool smile as she covered her pause. "Feel free to come to me with more than just reports. If you have ideas or notice things you want to discuss, I am always available to you. I will start spreading the word to the watchers that I've named you second-in-command and that they're to follow your orders when they don't contradict with mine." Shifting up on her paws, Morag glanced around and flicked her tail, working off some of the sudden nervous energy she felt.
"We'll have to be careful not to be seen together more than any other pair, not unless we want people to think we're a couple... but we should meet again soon to discuss the information I've gathered from the watchers. You've already pulled out an important idea, maybe we can fit more pieces together for a better picture of what we're dealing with."
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Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 7:28 am
He nodded, making sure he got all this committed to memory. It shouldn't be a problem, but Azulon had never honestly had responsibility of any sort, so he figured he might be even more attentive than usual. He didn't want to mess this up, being quite the opportunity.
"Sounds good." Her comment about them being mistaken for a couple was funny to him, but he did her the favor of not letting that transpire in his expression. This was still business. This meeting looked like it was just about over, but, still keeping in mind she was his boss, Azulon rather not our this positive encounter with just trotting off without being dismissed. "I'll keep my eyes and ears open for anything new in the meantime."
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 3:03 pm
"Thank you, Azulon." She said quietly, finally standing in an obvious signal that their meeting was over. "We'll talk again soon."
She nodded to him before turning and heading out, trying not to be self-conscious of herself and the way she moved. There was so much pride to be bruised in this new position... sometimes she found it hard to live up to what her own expectations of being spymaster meant.
There was so much to be done, so much information to sort through... no time like the present to get started.
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